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HALP --- Advice needed please

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just_al

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 30, 2008
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I started the batch below on April 20th. My plan tonight was to move it out of a fermentation bucket to a carboy, which we did. I took a gravity reading and it's 0.993 and.. to top it off we added 2tsp of yeast nutrient before taking a gravity reading..

It's way to dry and kinda tastes like grapefruit. I'm looking for suggestions on how we can backsweeten I guess... I am not even adverse to brewing a 5 gallon batch of something else and mixing the two if that is what it takes.

He're's the recipe/original log.. -- Did I really ferment this out in a MONTH?
Al's crazy berry mead

6 lbs strawberries
3 lbs blue berries
3 lbs 1 oz seedless blackberry puree
12 lbs honey
~ 3.25 gal water
1/2 gal organic apple juice with no preservatives
1 packet pasteur red wine yeast
3 tsp yeast nutrient
Original gravity 1.096
Potential Alcohol by volume 12.67%

This morning I bloomed the yeast and added it to two quart bottles of apple juice. This was to get the yeast off to a good running start. Tomorrow morning the apple juice and two teaspoons of yeast nutrient will get added to the mead to start fermentation.

We brought two gallons of water up to a near boil and added the 12 gallons of honey. We kept it between 180 and 200 for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile the previously frozen blueberries and strawberries were thrown into the bucket with a gallon of water and the blackberry puree. We then took the honey & water off the heat and pored it over the berries. We then added a 1/4 to a 1/3 gallon of water from the fridge to the bucket and took a reading.

Tomorrow I add the yeast and nutrient and in maybe 3 weeks I'll move everything to a carboy and off the hopefully DRAINED fruit. I'll take another reading then and a taste to see how it's coming...
 
akueck

akueck

Certified Mead Mentor
Certified Mead Mentor
Jun 26, 2006
4,958
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Ithaca, NY
This could totally ferment completely in a month. Or maybe 2 weeks. Good job!

One quick comment, no need to add yeast nutrient to a mead that is done fermenting. I'm guessing you figured that out, but I had to say it. ;)

Give it at least 6 more months before you judge the flavor, probably a year would be better. Being dry, it will take awhile for the flavors to integrate and mellow. During that time you can make a sweet mead if you want, and decide later if you want to blend them or keep them separate. You might also want to stabilize the mead (chemically or otherwise) in case you blend it later.
 
A

Angus

Lifetime Patron
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Aug 19, 2005
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Hi Al,

One small item to note. Your recipe does not mention pectic enzyme. I assume the fruit was frozen when you poured the 200F Must onto it, but you may have set some pectins that could cloud your final product. Hopefully not, but be aware of this potential in the future and add a little enzyme just to be safe.

As for the stabalizing, the yeast you chose can easily eat through a bunch more honey. Since you have given it some extra nutrients to be ready for anything, it is likely that fermentation will start up again if you add more honey, or if you blend with a sweet batch. I would cold crash, sorbate, and perhaps even use a clarifier like sparkoloid to try to get as much yeast out as possible before blending anything into it.

Angus
 
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just_al

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 30, 2008
16
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Angus said:
Hi Al,

One small item to note. Your recipe does not mention pectic enzyme. I assume the fruit was frozen when you poured the 200F Must onto it, but you may have set some pectins that could cloud your final product. Hopefully not, but be aware of this potential in the future and add a little enzyme just to be safe.

As for the stabalizing, the yeast you chose can easily eat through a bunch more honey. Since you have given it some extra nutrients to be ready for anything, it is likely that fermentation will start up again if you add more honey, or if you blend with a sweet batch. I would cold crash, sorbate, and perhaps even use a clarifier like sparkoloid to try to get as much yeast out as possible before blending anything into it.

Angus
Click to expand...

I always thought you were safe if you didn't boil the fruit... the fruit was frozen though except for the blackberry puree...

Thanks... My plan is to sorbate and such this weekend and then rack again come july add bentonite then and see what settles out and then backsweeten..

I was actually hoping for something on the sweet side, what yeast would you recommend.. I haven't done this in about 7 years and I cannot remember what I used to use..
 
Oskaar

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
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Wow, another cooked melomel . . . color me surprised. Please, let us know how it turns out and post some pictures if you're willing and able. Angus is right on the money with the pectinase. Any temperatures above 150 will set the pectin and cloud your mead.

Welcome to Got Mead?

Cheers,

Oskaar
 
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